The American Forces Radio and Television service touched a lot of people. Whether talent, support or listeners it touched a lot of us in ways that stateside media could only dream of. This website is unofficial and does not imply any endorsement from AFRTS, the Department of Defense or the United States government.
The Microsoft Browsers "Internet Explorer" and "Edge" give errors on the audio links. Please use Chrome or Firefox or Opera if you use Windows.

Thom Whetston

From 1972-97 I was a radio announcer, mostly in the Northeast. I had the most fun with Armed Forces Radio first in Korea then in Panama. A lot of the time it was spontaneous or improvised and that made for a great learning laboratory. The network DJs, Charlie Tuna, Wolfman, Kris Erik Stevens, Jim Pewter, LaRita Shelby and the rest were so consistent, it was and amazing thing to hear. Then to Massachusetts and WEIM, WKNE, WKBK, WFGL, WMDK, WKBR, WCGY, WSRS, WGAW. Most of them don't exist as anything that resembles a radio station. I'm always ready to trade war stories... Thom Whetston afrts@live.com 612-356-AFRS (612)356-2377

Friday, December 16, 2011

There are a lot of errors in the story, beginning with that crazy valuation. As best I can tell, these are library disks c 1965-75. The majority of those would be non-interesting MOR sides.

The normal disposition of these: They'll be called in to AFRTS-LA and pretty much immediately shipped to the Library of Congress. LOC is trying to have a complete collection and will upgrade what they have when they can. As far us us getting any access to it, it won't happen.

We're on our way to Yongsan. Maybe Itaewon. AFKN is bringing in the New Year 1970 First with Roger Schulman who went on to big things in Tampa radio and then Bruce Dorton, later with WABE Atlanta and NPR. I can smell the kimchi!

It's 1975 and the Wolf brings in the holiday. Christmas week the AFRTS network talent did a week of Christmas shows. Rare when it wasn't week 48-x did they ever play songs of the holiday season. It was too unpredictable when the shows would be aired. The Christmas week shows went out 3 or 4 weeks before Christmas week so we'd be ready to go.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

It's been almost four years since I started doing this. I'd like to thank you for stopping by. Our AFRTS stories are something that I really don't want to see in the dumpster. Thanks for sharing. For the hundreds of you that stop by, we get a chance to tell a story again. It's nice to be able to share the airchecks. Every one of the AFRTS-LA stars that I could find have said it's okay to post their material and I appreciate it.

If you'd like to share your memories I think we'd all appreciate it. Any requests?

Thursday, December 1, 2011

At the age of 15 / 16 a person is very susceptive for new influences - in many aspects. This is also true for the preference of musical styles - we like, what we hear and share this with others.

In Germany the musical scene in the mid-sixties was only mainstream-pop from England and Germany. My first contact to a completely+ different sound as in 1966, after I tuned-in (by chance) AFN Bremerhaven on my small transistor-radio.

The music was of overwhelming force and tempo. It was "Bluegrass"-music. From that day on, I stayed tuned to AFN and recorded some music with a microphone from the loudspeaker. Suddenly I became aware of the many styles of music that I had never heard of before. Country-Music, Soul, Jazz , Latino-Music - even Polka, Easy-Listening. I liked them all , and I still do today. It was not only the music, it was also the DJs. Their laid-back style, the sometimes intoxicating way of announcing the titles was completely new to me.

So I began to record not only the music but also some of the DJ's talk on my tape-machine, later on cassettes. My favourite DJs were Herman Griffith, Wolfman Jack, Roland Bynum, Charlie Tuna, Gene Weed, Vance Graham and of course Chris Noel.

I learned some aspects of American life and still today it is easier for me to translate spoken American English than British English. As a German civillian this helped me, especially in my job. So all this is my reason to thank AFRTS for producing the shows that not only entertained the American forces but also a German boy and maybe many others too, around the world.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

AFRTS will be having it's 70th birthday next year. I'm finishing up a little documentary to tell the story. I'd be very interested in getting a birthday greeting from you. A computer file would be great, but if you can't do that you can leave a voicemail at 612-356-AFRS (612)356-2377 and I'll get it transferred. If you enjoy this website, you were a part of the story. Please share it. 612-356-AFRS (612)356-2377, operators are standing by!

Jim Ameche (Don's brother) had the worlds most beautiful sounds around. We always had orchestral music. After Jim was John Doremus and later Pete Smith. Jim was probably the first syndicator to make money with DJ shows. He brought that experience to us all over the world for many years.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Mostly, I try to stay away from CONUS network radio shows. Spotlite Bands is a little different. During WWII Coca-Cola sponsored the top bands in America playing at military bases in the US and to be recorded for AFRS. Here's Charlie Barnet, playing at Lovell General Hospital, Ft Devens MA

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

AFRTS meant a lot to me and my husband when we were stationed in Germany, Korea, and England. It was a voice of home when we were far away, helping us to keep in touch with America. It was also very entertaining. I liked Larry Rideout and the Dufflebag Show in Frankfurt, Germany. We went to church with him. Especially in a country where you don't speak the language, AFRTS was a lifeline back to America. What impressed me the most was the variety. AFRTS was aimed at all the G.I.s and their families and the civilians that were also stationed overseas. They managed to have something for everybody. A favorite while we were in England was "the Energy Rap," this G.I. who admonished us to save energy. I also loved seeing G.I.'s in uniform read the news. Thanks!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Next year the network turns 70 years old. Can you believe it? I'm putting together an audio tribute to the network and I'd really appreciate your help. Could you please cut a drop with what AFRTS meant to you? It doesn't have to be anything tricky, you don't have to be 'talent'. Board operators, supply clerks, 71Limas. Civilians in the host countries. Several have already sent theirs in. Thank you. Just something along the lines of:

Hi I'm Thom Whetston, I was on AFRTS radio twice, in Korea in the 70s and Panama in the 80s. Happy birthday AFRTS.

Feel free to add to it. The more of us that participate, the better it'll be. Questions? just click here.

October 2011, we lost former director of AFRTS programming Jack Brown.

Jack Brown

Awarded US Secretary of Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

Professor Radio, TV, Film CSUN.

General Manager KCSN - Retired

Actor, Television, Radio and Motion Pictures

Former president and charter member, Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters. Former owner of the Don Martin School of Broadcasting. Jack was a Ham radio operator and former Volunteer at Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic. He was also a volunteer reader at his church, St. Mary the Virgin, Chatsworth.

Monday, November 14, 2011

"You might recall I mentioned a radio piece I did about the attack on AFVN Hue while it was under construction. It was during the Tet Offensive in 1968, and the radio station wasn't on the air yet but a bare bones TV station was.

It's the first post, titled "Double Jeopardy." While the piece isn't really about AFVN, it profiles two guys (one a D.J., the other an engineer) who took very different paths while fleeing the station when it was under attack. "Double Jeopardy" debuted last Friday on KCRW in L.A.'s "Unfictional" program."

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Awhile back Monte Jones had some informaton about the automation system at FEN in the late 60s. I thought something capable of segueing the ETs and putting the news on the air was very high tech for the times. Norm Medland was there before Monte and he had some information:

Henry Yaskell was way ahead of his time from the automation system to tropo scatter to distribute the net up the line to Misawa and other places; Kuma Station and Wakkanai in the far north of Japan. In addition to the voice network to our outlying stations, we also had a teletype network and a fulltime employee to type and send printed newscasts to all the stations. Yes, they could have had all news prerecorded on tape and I believe Henry wanted that but it pushed immediacy back by at least an hour and the programmers would not allow it.

Automation basic brain may have been a Harris-made unit, but not sure. Henry had at least four turntables connected along with a bank of ampex tape recorders and several cart machines. It used a room about 20x20 and had one fulltime GI and a Japanese engineer plus probably a GI engineer. Time hacks were automated and the unit could switch between functions and the news booth and production studios. A lot of local production done on tape like “Tokyo Calling.”

It took a lot of tending and no one but Henry thought it saved any manpower. Still, it was ingenious and way ahead of most broadcast stations. I worked at a station in Sacramento after I retired that was automated with a Harris-90 with just a bank of tape playback units and two production studios. Very simple by comparison.

FEN even had on loan from Sony an early portable tape unit that rode around on a cart much like a current day audio visual cart with a few shelves. Not very portable and weighed a couple of hundred pounds. This never worked properly and wasn’t used in the field that I know about. Our audio equipment was the best you could buy, and programming concentration was totally audio. I think we had a least six Nagra tape recorders. We were just a radio station, (no TV at all), and the network feed, but we were very good. Great talent in house. Unfortunately many of them are now deceased. I am certain we would have made money in any market in the United States.

I was just a buck sergeant and staff sergeant as I left, but had worked radio in Denver, San Diego, and small Iowa stations before arriving there. I wasn’t bad, but others there made me look like an amateur.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Frank Bresee recorded the last network show under the old system. GDOR was a celebration of all things radio in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. Earlier this year, Mr Bresee had a stroke and has been valiently going through rehab. You're in our prayers.

This page has been around for few years. I really hope that you enjoy it. I value your stories and we're all interested. Did you save any airchecks/pictures/disks/memories? Please share. Do you have any requests? Let me know and I'll see what I can do. There is a mailing list. Every week or two I send an email with what's been added to the site. Right now there are several hundred on that list. If there's someone you're looking for I may be able to let them know. I never give out addresses but I would forward an email.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Pat Sajak was one of the bigger stars that went through the network. Pat won a contest to be a disk jockey on the WLS Dick Biondi show, after that news at WEDC. Then the army beckoned. After a few months as a finance clerk, he was the morning star at AFVN. By the early 1970s he was jocking at flamethrower WSM Nashville and bigger and brighter things.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Melody Roundup was an interesting show, but almost for accidental reasons. The network would get recordings of local and network shows from all over the country and repackage them. Most have heard of the Grand Old Opry but most cities had similar shows. AFRS would take a 15 minute clip from a random show and viola "Melody Round Up".

This is from roughly 1947 and the "Hollywood Barndance" with Cottonseed Clark.

Bands have traded on famous names for years, at SCN we had the Platters visit (Hollywood Brown had been with them since 1967 and was the senior). The Supremes were supposed to have stopped by. it was the early 80s, the group was some cute kids who probably weren't even born when they had their first hits.

Found this old photo and decided to share with the group. It's of me doing the afternoon show on AFVN-AM shortly after the onset of the Tet Offensive in 1968.

I was AFVN-FM's only announcer. We were live 6:30p.m.-Midnight each night and simulcast otherwise. But, after Tet, all staffers were 24 on, 24 off (in case half of us got wiped out). That's why I was doing the afternoon gig in the photo, subbing for Don Burns. Note the tape on the studio window to the left, put there to prevent shattering from ordnance percussions. Weeks later, after a nearby rocket attack, the window stayed in tact, but most of the ceiling tiles fell, spewing insulation throughout.

Like many, I endured the Army's penchant for snafu's. I enlisted for a broadcasting MOS; they spent six weeks teaching me to type in admin school at Ft. Dix (even though I already could type 65 words per minute); after a brief stint at an intelligence unit at Ft. Meade, MD, I was assigned to the personnel department at a military intelligence unit seven miles north of Saigon. After several months, I went into Saigon, auditioned, and was "hired" shortly thereafter. Strangely, my transfer happened the afternoon of the Tet Offensive. My former unit was blown away the next day. By the grace of God and some trusted informants, the unit was abandoned prior to the attack and all survived.

AFVN, Saigon, was actually about as good as it could get in 'Nam. We lived in a hotel, The Ky Son. Except for AFVN staffers, it's nine stories housed Aussies and New Zealanders, which made staying sober a real challenge! I complete my enlistment at Ft. Meade, MD, producing the U. S. Army Recruiting public service radio shows.

My broadcasting career was short-lived. It got me through high school, college, and the Army. I went on to a successful career in the advertising agency business and spend half my retirement in Florida and half in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Thanks for posting. By way of background.... the Air Force made me a cop after I enlisted in Jan '66. Aftewr humping around the SAC "Looking Glass" aircraft I applied to DINFOS in November '66 (hated Nebraska winters at Offutt AFB) and was accepted. Went to DINFOS in Apr. '67 and got orders for Korea and AFKN in Dec. '67. Between DINFOS graduation and transfer, I was neither fish nor fowl nor good red meat to my squadron. I was still a cop but not a cop, wierd.

After AFKN I was assigned to a PIO office at Vandenberg AFB, CA. and was discharged in May '69 due to the Nixon drawdown. I went back to the job I had before enlistment at WWJ-AM, FM-TV in Detroit.

Became a writer producer and retired in 1999 after working for all three network afils, plus Fox in Detroit as a news producer (in spite of what Capt. Joe Malloy thought at AFKN).

I could not have bought the experience I gained at AFKN for a million dollars. Besides being on the air, I operated camera, "starred" in a daily kids TV show we produced and was FM program director for Radio Vagabond.

To be honest, I envied my buddies who had gone on to college, but after I got out I was so far up on the employment chain I never looked back. As for the total experience... it was the most fun you could have without taking your clothes off.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

I'm always going to remember grabbing this weeks hits and a bundle of Top Pops. The TPs went the the stations every week 1962-75, making one pretty neat oldies collection. When I see these, it's a lot like being back at the station. What do you remember?

"I was with AFN 1954-1956 (Berlin and Frankfurt) and did a variety of shows....Hillbilly Gastehaus, Duffle Bag, etc. About the only tape I have left is a cassette of one show that went full-network. Great times at AFN those years. After discharge in 56, I went back to Texas radio where I had taken that "leave of absence" and worked briefly in Austin before joining KILT in 56. On air PD till 62. Then on air PD at WQXI Atlanta till 75. 75-85 owned part of a station in Valdosta, Ga. Came to Carrollton, Ga. in 85 with WBTR. Spent my last 10 years with 50,000 watt WKNG Carrollton before retiring in June of this year. Total of 63 years in the business and with birthday #80 coming, I figured that was enough.” Red's a member of The Georgia Radio Hall of Fame.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

"Yankee Doodle Went to Sitka'...a line from a 1944 radio tribute to WVCX Sitka [Alaska] and one of the two stations [the other was KODK Kodiak] generally accepted as being the first Armed Forces Radio stations going on the air in 1941.

The Radio Heritage Foundation now has over 30 features celebrating early AFRS stations across Alaska, Asia and the Pacific including KODK Kodiak 1941 [www.radioheritage.net/story65.asp] and a full

1941-1958 guide to the AFRS Alaska stations including all the original known outlets [www.radioheritage.net/story63.asp].

Amongst the main features are AFRS Japan, AFRS China-Burma-India and AFRS Jungle Network which detail many now long forgotten stations in long forgotten theaters of war along with some rare images.

This month, Homer Willess, founder of WVUV American Samoa will be making his first visit back to the islands since 1942, and his inspiring story of island romance and radio can be enjoyed today at www.radioheritage.com.

From Alaska to Antarctica [WASA McMurdo] and all points of the Pacific in between, AFRS radio has entertained servicemen and women and local listeners for 70 years. We're delighted to record just a little of the fascinating heritage of these stations and encourage anyone with memories, photos or audio of AFRS stations to make contact with us.

In the meantime, please let your friends, colleagues and family know of the AFRS Armed Forces Memories features that can be enjoyed right now at www.radioheritage.com.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Chiquita began in April 1945, featuring latino hits. I've never been able to find out who she was but it was a nice presentation. The show continued until at least 1955, probably being followed by Vance Graham "Victor" with Spanish Music.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

This whole thing happens because we have a story. If you saved any tapes or disks, please share. There's a lot of people who'd like to hear them and I could certainly make a high quality cd transfer for your collection.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Brian Hartzell (AFKN 1972-73) is trying to put together an AFKN reunion in San Antonio. First part is just getting a mailing list together. Were you at AFKN? When? What did you do? Contact Brian at hartzell56@hotmail.com

Friday, July 29, 2011

Paul enlisted in 1967, leaving his job at KEWI radio. A year later he was in Vietnam, where he stayed for two tours from July 1968 to June 1970. By volunteering for a second consecutive tour, Paul was able to cut five months off his service obligation.

He spent the first month at Chu Lai working in the information office, before being selected to visit the Saigon station in preparation for bringing television to AFVN's Detachment 7. Although on TDY, he did not leave Saigon again. He was assigned a six-hour night shift, including hosting the "Orient Express" show, which ran from 0100 to 0400 hours. Later, he did the "Dawnbuster" show, but with a pre-recorded version of the elongated "Good Morning, Vietnam" sign-on. For a time he was designated "Chief Announcer." He remained on TDY status for the entire two years, which meant that he had to return to Chu Lai for outprocessing when he rotated back home in June 1970. (Biography from macoi.net, be sure to visit).

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Bing Crosby's brother Bob was a big supporter of the troops and always made himself available to AFRS. His Swingtime DJ show presented some great bands, sometimes live sometimes from radio transcriptions and sometimes from commercial 78s. Bob presents trumpeter Erskine Hawkins.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

West Palm Beach, Florida, United States of America (Free-Press-Release.com) July 3, 2011 --

Pin-up girl Chris Noel appeared in films with Steve McQueen, Richard Chamberlain, Elvis Presley, and Dennis Hopper. She had torrid affairs with some of Hollywood’s hottest hunks, and even dated Frank Sinatra! Then, as a disc jockey for Armed Forces Radio, she turned her daily program, “A Date With Chris,” into a smash hit around the world. Chris had our boys in Vietnam listening to her every day, and dreaming of her as their favorite pin-up girl every night. These are her intimate true confessions, packed with juicy behind-the-scenes gossip and illustrated with rare, beautiful photos!

Reading "Confessions of a Pin-Up Girl" is like opening a beautiful time capsule from the Sixties. From her role as a rotating regular on Gene Roddenberry's "The Lieutenant" to her first film, "Soldier in the Rain," starring Steve McQueen and Jackie Gleason, Chris had a habit of being where groovy things were happening. When Elvis Presley was rocking America, Chris appeared with the King in "Girl Happy." When Richard Chamberlain was the hottest thing on TV as "Dr. Kildare," Chris appeared with him in the film "Joy In The Morning." When beach movies were capturing the teens of America, Chris starred in "Beach Ball" with Edd Kookie Byrnes of "77 Sunset Strip." As the Swingin' Sixties got wilder and wilder, Chris co-starred in a biker gang movie with Dennis Hopper, and appeared partially nude in "For Singles Only." Chris has captured all the craziness of Hollywood the first half of this gossipy photo-biographical memoir, a story told mainly through hundreds of rare, unpublished pictures.

The second half of the book deals with an event that dominated the Sixties: the Vietnam War. Blessed with a voice sweet as home-made sugar, Chris was hired by the Pentagon to do a daily, hour-long radio show that was broadcast to our troops in Vietnam and around the world. Every day, the storm clouds of war were temporarily lifted by a ray of sunshine -- a radio show called "A Date With Chris." But our fighting forces couldn't SEE Chris. What did the sultry-voiced vixen LOOK like? The debate raged until "Stars and Stripes" ran a pin-up of Chris on the beach in a bikini. That picture became THE classic Vietnam pin-up, and it appears (in close-up) on the cover of "Confessions of a Pin-Up Girl." Now our soldiers knew -- the vixen was no vixen at all -- she was a blonde bombshell! An angel who had fallen from heaven down to earth. A stand-in for every guy's girl back home. Our men in Vietnam made Chris their favorite pin-up girl. Chris visited Vietnam during the war -- not once but EIGHT separate times. Once she performed with legendary comedian Bob Hope. And, many years later, Chris opened Vetsville Cease Fire House, a shelter for homeless Vietnam veterans, which has since been expanded to welcome all military veterans.

"Confessions of a Pin-Up Girl" is 180 pages of glorious color, featuring dozens of sexy pin-ups of Chris, most never published before. They're awesome! If you love the Sixties, if you love Hollywood gossip, if you've been touched by the Vietnam War, and (especially) if you love pretty girls -- this is the book you have been waiting for!